Local Barber celebrates milestone birthday

Local Barber celebrates milestone birthdayFront Street Barber, Jim Underwood, cuts the hair of Ralph Truesdail. Underwood recently celebrated his 60th birthday. Photo credit: Jim Raftis, Sr.

Front Street Barber, Jim Underwood, celebrated his 60th birthday and has just finished cutting (estimated) his 10,000-plus head of hair in his 44 year career of barbering, all on Owego’s Front Street in two locations across the street from each other. 

What’s the rest of the story? Well, Jim’s dad, Charles Underwood, as the red letters on the barbershop’s mirror states, “Shooting The Bull and Barbering from 1956 to 2016.” That’s 60 years. So that’s an estimated 14,000 haircuts and shaves. Combined – that 64 years of father-son barbering and an estimated 24,000 haircuts and shaves. 

There’s more. The Berkshire Underwood’s have been barbering at their current Front Street location by Carol’s for 41 years since 1978. Before that they were almost directly across the street on River Row. 

Is that it? No. Barber Jim left Berkshire to live for a few years in King Ferry because of his liking of Cayuga Lake. That’s up the road by etc. up the road by Moravia and a one-hour 48-mile drive one way. But because Jim loves Front Street, and got tired of the long round trip drive after a day on his feet at the shop, he found a beautiful house. Where? On Front Street, of course. He bought it and it’s near St. Patrick’s Parish Office. 

Oh yes. Jim has a 10-year-old beautiful parrot that spends weekdays at the barbershop and weekends at home. This week, in her own language, Gracie could be heard imitating the sound of human speech, “Happy Birthday Jim!” 

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